This is a public service announcement:

Kew Gardens near Richmond is a lovely place to visit, but frankly, at £14.50 a ticket, quite an expensive one to visit for a casual wander around.

The big problem as I see it is the sheer size of the place – it is just too big for a relaxing visit if you only have one day to get around so you feel compelled to rush a bit to see everything and get your money’s worth.

Fortunately, the place is free to enter over the 12 days of Christmas – excepting, obviously Christmas Day and curiously, Christmas Eve, when it is closed.

If the weather is too cold, then the heated greenhouses can offer respite, although I am rather keener on seeing the view from the tall walkway with the leafless trees.

The free tickets deal is limited to 9,000 tickets per day – and can only be ordered online.

I expect that the Boxing Day and weekend tickets will be snapped up fast by those of us who aren’t taking the whole week off work.

Looking down on the Temperate House

I just hope it snows or is very foggy one day – then I will be rushing down there with my camera!

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5 comments
  1. Nicholas says:

    THANKS! We usually go some time in the days after the New Year, so it was good to get freebie tickets for once. Might afford something in the shop for a change.

  2. C says:

    It’s not for the 12 days of Christmas! Offer finishes on 10th day of Christmas! Boooooo…

  3. Jo says:

    I’ve booked my ticket…thanks for the heads up about this 1!

  4. Ian Wylie says:

    Kew Gardens announced a few days ago that all the free tickets in this offer have now gone. They said they would make another announcement on Dec 27 if a decision to make more available was taken.

  5. Mark says:

    Looks like the second tranche of free tickets is still available, 31 Dec to 4 January: http://www2.seetickets.com/kew/

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